


the night belongs to us

by venysri (orphan_account)



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: All of what I write is essentially inspired by music, Eugene is a Softie, Gentle Negan (Walking Dead), M/M, Sweet Negan (Walking Dead), music inspired
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-19
Updated: 2018-02-08
Packaged: 2019-02-17 02:56:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,504
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13067649
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/venysri
Summary: Negan leaves the sanctuary late at night, completely alone. Eugene follows. What he finds is unexpected.And it marks the moment they begin to bond.





	1. Chapter 1

 

Eugene had been wandering in the dead of night around the deserted cul-de-sac for what felt like an hour, something indomitable had carried him on in the precise direction he knew Negan was taking. He had been a safe distance behind, a good space between them that he could effectively follow the lone man wherever he was going without the risk of being caught. He knew Negan never went anywhere alone, he had _thought_ Negan never went anywhere alone. He didn’t know why he was following either. He knew what would happen if he was caught following.

It was an accident, how Eugene had noticed. Initially he was seeking out Negan to inform him of the intricate device he'd been working on. ( _‘Now, once that big brain of yours is finished doing all of that cool shit? You come straight to me and tell me everything about it. You KNOW I'm always excited for the shit you come up with, Eugene.')_

The project was finally finished after an exasperating two weeks of standing upon the cold roof top testing theory after theory, making adjustments and failing tremendously. Eugene let out a giddy yelp when he found that it was finally working, then clamped a hand over his mouth and looked around to see if anyone heard.

It was rather late to go seeking him out now with the good news, but orders were orders when it came to Negan. He had just hoped that he wouldn’t catch him at a difficult time. That was until Eugene had seen him walking briskly out of his room and down the corridor leading to the stairs, Lucille swung over his shoulder.

He had tried to catch up to him, but Negan had a stealthy urgence about him, he bounded down the stairs two steps at a time. Eugene thought to call out to him but his throat decided better when it closed up in fear. He stood at the top of the stairs for a while, contemplating on whether or not he ought to follow. Once he heard Negan reach the last step that lead into the storage room, he made his way down quietly but hastily.

There was only one way leading out of the storage room and it would have exited him through the double doors leading out into the compound, one of them had been left ajar. Eugene swallowed a lump and peaked beyond the small space and watched as Negan exited through the side door of the back gate, which had been effectively obscured and hidden by a pile of crates. His eyes darted up to the guards on the outpost, who had their attention on what was ahead rather than what was behind. Negan was careful in making sure he did not want anyone discovering his departure, and he especially did not want to be followed.

Eugene didn't know why he done exactly that — he had followed, and that's what had brought him to the remote dead-end of white houses with anxiety bubbling in his stomach, ducking behind cars and catching up when Negan expanded a good safe distance between them. He had cursed himself for being so imprudent, it’s not like he could catch up to him and tell him about the project now. He shivered when he thought of what Negan would do if he found him following, but he was so curious...

Not a walker was in sight, or for the mile he'd walked in the curious pursuit of Negan either. He had seen the man skulk in behind one of the houses up ahead. He waited, and waited, and waited. Then began to wonder if he should go take a look.

That's when he heard it.

The faint sound of music came from the house Negan had went behind. Eugene shrank, perplexed and very much afraid. It wasn’t loud music, so he knew it wasn’t a tactic to attract walkers for whatever reason. It was the sound of a guitar, steel-stringed for sure, and a low voice. Eugene took a deep breath and tiptoed up to the house, keeping wide eyed attention on the side of the porch incase Negan were to suddenly emerge.

Though as Eugene approached the house, he recognised that it was a man's voice, throaty and deep, but pleasing to the ears — to Eugene's ears...

He let out a shaky breath when the realisation came to him. This voice belonged to Negan.

The melody he played was that of a country song, but it was resonant with emotions of deep sorrow; loss; sadness; regret; and the voice...

Negan sang like he was in pain, a pain nobody — not even himself — could understand. But the pain did not incapacitate his voice, no, he was sonorous. He did not sing loud, however still his voice was imposingly deep and full.

_"I never dreamed that I'd meet somebody like you...."_

Eugene’s heart raced but he wasn't afraid anymore, not as much anyway. Something pulled him to the sound, so he crept up to the side of the porch, turned the corner as quiet as the gravel below would allow him. Assuredly, the sound would be masked anyhow, because the music became louder as he got closer to the backyard.

_"No I, don't wanna fall in love..."_

_"With you..._ "

Negan’s voice raised gently in pitch at that line, and Eugene's heart fluttered. When he finally gained the courage to peek from behind the wall, he found Negan sitting with his back to him, perched on the steps with a guitar over his knee.

He tightened his mouth and watched.

_"What a wicked game to play, to make me feel this way,_

_What a wicked thing to do, to let me dream of you,_

_What a wicked thing to say, you never felt this way,_

_What a wicked thing to do, to make me dream of you and..._

_I don't wanna fall in love._

_No I don't wanna fall in love,_

_With you..."_

Whether that was the end of the song or not, (Eugene wasn't sure as he had never heard it before now) Negan had played the last few notes in a soft and pleasant flurry. He sat for a while in silence, until only the sound of night's insects could be heard.

Eugene was holding his breath, heart still racing. He knew it was time to go, he knew that he had intruded on something very intimate. And he was afraid again. He was afraid of what Negan would do. He only had to turn around and...

"Oh, Eugene..." Negan sighed.

Eugene stiffened.

"Now, this is the part where I’d ask you why the hell you'd be followin' me around at this time of the night, but..." he turned around and smiled coyly, looking him dead in the eye. He felt like he was about to pass out. The same fear gripped him as it did the time he was on his knees with Rick’s group the night they first met Negan. He could run, but would good would that do if Negan could run faster? And where would he go really?  
  
"Damn, I can't tell if you liked it or not, doesn't seem like you did."

Eugene stood still, his face grew hot and he felt the blood leaving his body. Talking had always got him out of things before, it got him from being killed. It got him on Negan’s side. But he was at a loss for words now.

"Damn, Eugene. You think I didn't _know_ you were following me, huh?" he smiled, and it reached his eyes, the way it always did. "I know you're our Doctor Smartypants, but I'd be _very_ fuckin' disappointed if you thought I would be that stupid.”

Eugene's bottom lip quivered, his mouth was dry. "I..I don’t comprehend.”

Negan looked him down and turned back, resting his arms over the body of the guitar.  He stared into the shadows of the backyard in silence. "That song," Negan began after some time, "I remember it was a hit in the late eighties, damn, like it was yesterday. What was I, twenty one? twenty two?”

Eugene didn't know whether or not to answer, not like he could. He stood in silence, too afraid to even blink or breathe.

He hadn't noticed Lucille was missing from the picture until Negan had picked it up and sat it across his lap in place of the guitar, which was now discarded across the backyard, making a loud reverberating noise as it hit the ground. Eugene flinched at the sound and squeezed his eyes shut. When he opened them again however, Negan had remained sitting on the steps with his back to him. His head was lowered now and looking at Lucille, the monstrosity that had taken the life of Glenn and Abraham. His heart dropped. What would Abraham think of him now? He knew what he would think.

"I had a wife before all of this, Eugene." Negan said quietly, pulling him from his thoughts. "My only real wife, who I lied to and screwed around on.” He turned around him again and watched him with narrowed eyes. Eugene, visibly shaking now, stared back.

"Fucking hell, man, you don't need to be afraid," Negan said, laughing dryly. "Come on, I'm not gonna do anything — pinkie promise," He held up his little finger, grinning. “Now come over here and sit down, asshole.”

Eugene obeyed, taking careful, unsure steps toward him. Negan watched him with a smug grin the entire time until he finally sat down beside him. It looked almost like the expression he had when Eugene had accidentally kissed his hand in the boardroom — a situation he had misinterpreted greatly. His face started to grow hot again. “You knew I was followin’ you.” he mumbled.

“You know, I once heard somewhere that lettin' someone see you vulnerable can be more intimate than anything. Personally, I find it's all a bunch of bullshit, but you know, Eugene, despite what you might think of me,” he leaned in, “I _don't_ like seeing you so god damn afraid of me all the time."

"I'm n-not afraid—"

"Bullshit." Negan cut him off sternly, but then his face softened into a smile. "You’re fucking terrified, you think I’m some _big bad meanie,_ don’t you? Come on, admit it! Don’t make me lose respect for you now, Doctor Smartypants — there’s nothin’ I hate more than liars.”  
  
Eugene swallowed. “I..I do indeed often think you are a big bad meanie.” he answered, terse. He steeled himself, waiting for a harsh reaction to his honesty. He cursed himself for his foolishness.

But Negan laughed. “See how much easier it is? You’re old pal Rick Grimes never had a problem with tellin’ the truth, neither should you.” Then his smile faded, “Damn, you’re not still sore assed about that, right? I mean—” Eugene shook his head and cut him off, “Rick Grimes and I were acquaintances, nothing more. I am completely and utterly Negan.”  
  
Negan sucked in his lips and stared at him, scrutinized him. “Hmmm,” he said. “I hope that someday you'll feel comfortable around me, but I understand. Honestly, I do. I get it, man."  
  
Eugene looked at him, side-eyed, and then down at Lucille. He quickly averted his gaze when the memories threatened to hit him. ‘ _I am Negan.’_ he reminded himself.

"What do you say?"

Eugene looked up, Negan had his hand outstretched. “Cut out the bullshit. I want us to be friends, Eugene, and friends don’t run the risk of pissin’ their pants everytime the other looks at them. So, what do you say? Think we could be friends?”

There was something more to it, Eugene thought, but whatever Negan was planning, he had a feeling that he wouldn’t be on the bad end of it. _“I don't like seeing you so god damn afraid of me all the time.”_  
  
He slowly but cautiously raised his hand and shook Negan’s.

"No kisses this time, huh? Damn, I'm disappointed." he smiled. Eugene's face grew hot again. He had evidently not forgotten the boardroom blunder either. “I need you to follow my direction when we get to the compound, these little visits of mine are private, and I’d rather anyone but you and I not know about them, understand?”  Eugene nodded. “Good, now come on.”

They had made their way back to the sanctuary. Eugene had felt a lot calmer, strangely enough. He even laughed a little when Negan made jokes and told him about something embarrassing Dwight did the day before. Negan had enjoyed making jokes at Dwight’s expense, though Eugene had never liked Dwight, or Simon for that matter.

He had followed Negan’s orders until they were able to slip through the gate unnoticed, but before he left him, Negan took Eugene by the arm and whispered, "Same time next week?" though he didn’t allow any time for a reply and had instead walked off grinning with Lucille swinging by his side. He didn’t go back the way he came. This time, Eugene knew for sure that he ought to not follow.

He’d smiled too, then it was gone in seconds. He forgot to tell him about the project.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dedicated to my muse, the only other person who shares this ship with me, @auberon. Without whom I wouldn't have even had the courage to post my writing at all. I love you! <3

He couldn’t get the song out of his head for the next few nights.

Though some of the words had been lost on him, he could remember the melody very clearly, especially how Negan’s voice sounded when he sang. It was a nice voice, a reminiscent of what he’d usually sounded like. Deep, authoritative, intimidating. Although Eugene’s heart rate picked up in pace each time he recalled how that same deep, authoritative, intimidating voice could reach such beautiful pitches.

But then he remembered Abraham and Glenn, the sickening sound their skulls made when Negan brought Lucille down onto their heads. Glenn’s eye popping out, his cold laugh, _Maggie screaming…_

He hadn’t seen him since that night. Yet, he’d met a different Negan then. Could he really believe him when he said that he didn’t like him being afraid? He always had to second-guess the man’s intentions — he wasn’t exactly as predictable as the sunrise.

Eugene lay in his bed, thoughts racing and covers up to his chin as he stared blankly at the ceiling above. The small room was stuffy, and he was forbidden to open up the windows at night due to the strict rule of keeping heat in the building; no more had there been the luxury of central heating. He thought about Negan’s apartment, the large fireplace that warmed the extravagant leather sofa, and wondered if he sat there at night, thinking. He wondered what he thought about. Mostly, he wondered why he’d sneak out at night to that house and play the guitar rather than do it in the comfort of his own room. Negan called it vulnerable. Was it the song? Was it his singing? He had a nice voice…

Eugene tried to shake his thoughts away. Sleep would not come; he was too awake. Usually, in his sleepless nights, he’d wander up to the rooftop and watch the dead below, wrapped in his thin blanket. It helped him think, helped him feel better, knowing he was up here and they were down there and that they could never reach him.

He quickly got up and wrapped his blanket around him.

The night air chilled his face as Eugene sat on the rooftop watching the walkers’ sluggish struggle to fight their way from hardened scrap metal. Negan had loved his ideas. He loved the proposition of the molten metal affixing them to the fence, even called it the coolest thing he ever heard in his life. Although in hindsight, Eugene was in a moment of panic and merely expanded what was initially Negan’s idea all along. He had told him after all that they already possessed the means of solving the issue.

“Some view, huh?”

The voice winded him and Eugene spun his head around to find a shadowed Negan leaning against the wall. He wasn’t looking at him, his gaze was stuck on the sight below. “Man, I still think that is the most badass shit I’ve ever seen. Rick’s really missing out.”

Eugene felt himself quiver, cold now in the warmth of his blanket. He tried to remember the Negan from two nights before. _‘I don't like seeing you so god damn afraid of me all the time.’_ he’d said. _‘So, what do you say? Think we could be friends?’_

“Hello, Negan.” he offered in his best confident voice. Instead of looking at the floor like he always done, Eugene kept eye contact. Even when Negan turned his attention to him and gave a toothy grin, looking rather amused by something unbeknownst to him. “Watchin’ the stars? What’re you doing all the way up here at this time of the night?”

He tugged his blanket closer to his wide form, feeling a shiver creeping up. “Mild difficulty sleeping,” he muttered. “Yourself?”

“Sometimes, it’s not nice to lay with Sherry, you know... _after._ ” his eyes flickered mischievously. “She gets touchy, you know. Wants to held and all that bullshit. So I come up here.”

Eugene nodded but it was nothing he would understand; he wouldn’t know anything about that. “You don’t acknowledge your wife’s suggestion of romance?” he asked. Negan scoffed. “Uh-uh, a BIG no-no. I understand if you don’t know shit about this kind of thing, Eugene, but what I have with Sherry ain’t what you might think. Sure, she’s my wife — we fuck, we have dinner, share laughs. She’s a nice girl, you met her yourself, remember?” and his eyes danced with mischief again. “That little authorized visit to your apartment on the first day your big smartypants ass came in here?”

Eugene’s face grew hot. “Yes,” he said, shrinking into his blanket and looking away.

“But it ain’t nothing like a...you know, what I had with _her_. But man, even that…”

Silence followed, and the distant voices of the walkers from below and beyond the fence.

“I managed to finish the project,” Eugene said quickly, he then nodded and blinked at the ground searchingly. “Uh, It may not be effective or useful at the current moment,” he turned to look at Negan. “But I would suggest in the events of an emergency it would be applicable.”

“Mhmm, go on. I’m all ears.” Negan motioned, and he began to take a few slow steps towards him. Eugene licked his lips nervously, watching him approach... “It is a-uh… a constructed audio glider activated for sound utilizing music, which will drive the active walkers along with it away from all exits allowing successful redirection.”

There was a silence once more, as much as the guttural cries of the walkers could allow it. Negan’s rubbed his lips together and stared down at him still looking amused as he did. But Negan had always appeared amused by everything, as though there was something wicked that only he knew about and him alone. “You seem to have it all worked out, don’t you? Would certainly drive away any herds in the area, but my men always have that shit on the scope. But wow, utilizin’ music!” he shook his head in amazement. “What can it play?”

A memory of Negan playing the guitar flashed before Eugene’s eyes. The picture of serene. “I-I found an old iPod in my apartment,” he said. “Unsure of its original ownership but nobody had come to claim it. Given, it came with pre-applied song choices, uh… mostly pop songs in the 50s and 60s era or so.”

Negan laughed heartily. “God fucking DAMN, if Dwight finds out you got that thing? Dude’s been looking for it for weeks.” Eugene blinked and his mouth fell open, to this Negan only chuckled more. “Nah, I’m just fuckin’ with you, Eugene. Not Dwight, he was all modern rock and shitty garage bands. Truth is, I have no idea who might’ve owned it. Good taste though.”

Eugene rose to his feet rather abruptly. “I could show you if you want.” he offered. Then he realized what he’d just said, and cringed inwardly. But Negan raised his brows and nodded. “Sure,” he said with a dry laugh. “Ain’t like I’m going back anytime soon, anyway. Funny ain’t it? I got all of Sanctuary kissin’ my ass yet I let a woman chase me from my own damn bed.”

 

* * *

 

“Ho-ly SHIT! Would you look at that? Come on, lemme see it!”

Eugene handed over the glider and Negan held it in his hands in amazement. “Fuck me, this is probably the second most coolest thing I’ve ever seen in my life. You, my friend, are full of surprises. That spongy organ between your eyes and your spectacular mullet is full of surprises, and I just want you to know that I know that.”

“Consider it known,” Eugene mumbled, though inside he was feeling jittery. Proud.

Negan had taken to fiddling with the iPod, cradling the glider in one hand and fingering his way past the list of songs with his other, muttering “That’s one I ain't heard in a while,” and “Man I loved that one.” and grinning. Eugene’s eyes darted from the glider to Negan and then back again in a pattern. “Here,” Negan finally said, handing it over. “Pick one.”

His brows furrowed, “Pick a song?” Eugene asked.

“Uh-huh.”

Eugene took the glider and stared down at it. While Negan waited expectantly, Eugene searched through them, swallowing. There was one song he loved, but he feigned unfamiliarity. “Uh, I’ll just pick this,” he said, trying to gain the courage to speak the name. “W-We Belong Together, Ritchie Valens.” He pressed play and the slow beat began playing instantly. He stood awkwardly with the object in his hands, looking at Negan for direction. Negan chuckled. “Interesting,” he pointed out. Then he took the glider off of Eugene and sat the device on a stool by the kitchen. The device was slightly tinny but echoed in the small room, neither too loud or too quiet. Eugene stood with his hands by his sides, visibly embarrassed and uncomfortable. He had a dreadful feeling.

_“You’re mine. . . and we belong together. Yes, we belong together. For eternity.”_

Negan sauntered over to him with a smirk on his face. “Gotta say that’s melodramatic shit, right there. You know, I am ITCHIN’ to hear your story. You get your heart broken by a girl you liked a million miles out of your league? You get bullied? What’s the deal with that?”

“I kept mostly to myself in college, my study kept me busy and unavailable to most socializing.”

“I can tell that,” Negan quipped. “But really? No girls? Not even one?”  


“Female acquaintances, nothing more.”

_“You’re mine. . . your lips belong to me. Yes, they belong to only me. For eternity.”_

Negan reached down and took Eugene’s hand. “Come on, tell me you know how to dance,” he said. And Eugene froze as his breath hitched in his throat. He felt himself being guided by Negan away from the clutter of furniture, to an area of space between the kitchen and living area. He felt the man draw him in and felt his hand on the right side of his hip. Eugene couldn’t dance, but his voice failed him and he couldn’t speak. They were very close together, he could smell Negan’s breath. It was surprisingly pleasant, not that Eugene had expected anything else. He was intimidating but he wasn’t a monster.

Still lost for words, he couldn’t even question what Negan was doing; he couldn’t even look at him. His laugh bellowed over the music. “Come on, Eugene.” he chuckled. “Don’t be a literal stick-in-the-mud here. Put your hand on my arm.” Eugene’s eyes darted to his hand in Negan’s grip. “Other hand, ya dumbass.” He raised his left hand slowly, looking at him for direction, still wordless. “On my arm,” Negan said, pointing with his head. Eugene gingerly did as instructed.

_“You’re mine, my baby. And you’ll always be. I swear by everything I own. You’ll always, always be mine.”_

Negan quickly talked him through the basic steps of slow dancing, snickering at Eugene’s awkward footing and general stiffness. “Hey, relax,” he said, grinning at him. “Can’t say I’m not jealous you didn’t have to go to proms, though. You’re one lucky son-of-a-bitch. Free booze though most of the time, and you know that was the exciting part for me. You ever been kissed, Eugene?”

His heart was in hysterics. “Uh,” Eugene started, though still couldn’t find his voice.

“Am I taking that as a no?” Negan asked, brow raised. “Wow, some dull life. Lucky you got here when you did, huh? I’m all for fun in the Sanctuary.”

He was looking up at him, Negan, who returned his gaze with a thin-lipped smile but nevertheless full of warmth. The other Negan. _‘I hope that someday you'll feel comfortable around me.’_ And Eugene began to smile back, feeling himself fall into the rhythm of the dance and become less stiff and solid about it. “I can see that,” he said.

Negan chuckled. “Really, well, can you see this?”

_“You’re mine. . . and we belong together. Yes, we belong together. . .”_

It happened too fast to even register. Negan’s lips were against his and they kissed as they swayed. He tried to match the movement of Negan’s mouth, equally frightened and excited and another emotion he couldn’t name.

_“For eternity. . . eternity.”_

Eugene opened eyes which he didn’t know he had closed. He felt breathless. When he drew away, Negan sucked in his bottom lip and snickered through his nose as he studied Eugene’s face. He blinked and withdrew his hands, swallowing.

The song ended slowly, drawn out.

Negan nodded, smiling now. “Well, it was nice, I think. Bit cheesy, but nice. Good pick.”

Eugene’s heart raced as a thousand different thoughts swam in his head. It was chaotic. He looked over at the glider resting on the stool. “Yeah.” he barely managed to say.  
  
Negan patted him on the shoulder. “Don’t think too hard about it; you’ll get to hold on to it. Anyway, think it’s safe for me to go back and finally catch some z’s. You should get some sleep, Eugene. Cut all that rooftop shit out, it’s too damn cold these days.”

Eugene nodded and fumbled with his hands. He was, for the most part, confused. Wondering if what happened was part of his imagination — a delusion activated by the perpetuation of poor sleep hygiene. Negan was as nonchalant as ever. “Goodnight, Doctor Smartypants.” he chirped.

“Uh, goodnight, Negan.” he replied with a curt smile.

Negan whistled the song on his way down the corridor.

That night, Eugene lay in his bed, thoughts racing more than ever and covers up to his chin as he stared blankly at the ceiling above. He knew he wouldn’t get the song out of his head for the next few nights. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> // Note: I hate the idea of Negan having multiple wives. So for the sake of plot and sense, Negan is only married to Sherry. There's a lot of changes made to the canonical plot, obviously. As you'll notice I've taken some quotes and things from later on in the show and applied them differently. //


End file.
